Marvel is in mourning. Former art director, John Romita Sr. passed away Tuesday at the age of 93. The artist spent much of his professional life linked to the superhero company. He was considered the best Spider-Man cartoonist and he also created many other characters such as Wolverine, Mary-Jane Watson, Kingpin, Luke Cage, Bullseye, Tigra, Brother Voodoo and The Punisher.
The sad news was announced by his son, fellow cartoonist John Romita Jr. He posted an emotional tweet Tuesday night, announcing that his father had passed away at home in his sleep:
I say this with a heavy heart, My father passed away peacefully in his sleep. He is a legend in the art world and it would be my honor to follow in his footsteps. Please keep your thoughts and condolences here out of respect for my family.
He was the greatest man I ever met. pic.twitter.com/Pe2K3ywbWX— John Romita JR (@JrRomita) June 14, 2023
Comic fans were quick to react to the news. The first, of course, was Marvel itself, which shared a post with some of the cartoons drawn by the former art director from 1973 to 1995, when Romita decided to retire.
John Romita Sr. was a pillar of the Marvel Universe, and his talent defined decades of Marvel's most well-known stories and characters. The Marvel family has lost one of its legends, and we mourn the loss of a creative giant. Our hearts are with his family and loved ones. pic.twitter.com/Wj0I7TPuNs
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) June 14, 2023
British cartoonist Sean Phillips also posted a message on Twitter paying tribute to "the best Spider-Man artist."
RIP John Romita, the best Spider-Man artist. pic.twitter.com/dDPGrw7caH
— Sean Phillips (@seanpphillips) June 14, 2023
John Romita Sr.'s life linked to comics
The Brooklyn-born cartoonist began his professional life at Timely Comics, the company that would later become Marvel. However, during the 1950s and 1960s, he changed jobs and went on to work for the superhero company's ultimate rival, DC Comics.
In 1966 he returned to Marvel and became very successful. He replaced the artist Steve Ditko in the comic book series "The Amazing Spider-Man." There he worked hand in hand with the legendary Stan Lee, designing two main characters in the Wallcrawler saga: Mary Jane Watson, his lover, and the evil Kingpin, among many others.
In 1995, Romita decided to retire and leave Marvel, after a series of differences with Stan Lee. However, he continued to be involved in comics and in 2002 he was inducted into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame. Years later, in 2020, he was inducted into the Inkwell Awards Hall of Fame, winning two of the highest awards in the world of comics.
